


Don't leave like they did

by CatraHappinessClub



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Comfort, Crying, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Psychological Torture, Sad with a Happy Ending, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred, Slow Burn, Torture, Trust Issues, Unresolved Emotional Tension, narrative foils to lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:26:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21618328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatraHappinessClub/pseuds/CatraHappinessClub
Summary: Trapped in a cell together in the heart of their enemies empire, Catra and Glimmer have no choice but to work together to escape from Horde Prime and deal with the issues they're both learning to live with. They both learn they aren't alone anymore, and they have somebody to hold when they get scared of the dark, and something is starting to be built between them on what little common ground they share together.But after they escape from Horde Prime's ship and crash back on Etheria, they find themselves in a forgotten kingdom, and uncover questions that nobody thought to ask, with answers that have both questions of their own and threaten to destroy everything built.
Relationships: Catra/Glimmer (She-Ra), Past Catra/Adora - Relationship
Comments: 16
Kudos: 111





	1. Cold

“Trust me, Sparkles, it’ll get easier,” Catra told her on the first day they were locked into the tiny cell on Horde Prime’s ship after Glimmer had used some of her magical energy to try and break down the cell shield keeping them locked in, until she eventually gave up and collapsed on her knees, tears in her eyes. “The first day is always the worst.”

“How do you know?” The queen of Bright Moon bitterly snarled, looking up at the face of her enemy, her nemesis, at Catra, the person who nearly destroyed Bright Moon. Catra, who nearly destroyed all of reality. Catra, who made all of their friends run away. Catra, who sent Entrapta to Beast Island. Catra, who killed Glimmer’s mom. Catra, who had nothing left. Just like Glimmer.

“Because I’ve been locked up in a cell before, by Hordak,” the feline stood up and made her way over to where the princess sat, and placed herself beside them. “It was cold, dark, lonely, and boring. I’d be given smaller rations than usual, and the brown ones too. I never managed to get any sleep, but it wasn’t like I ever did. But the first day was the worst. It always is.”

Glimmer felt a small shock when she found Catra’s arm had been placed around her shoulders, her tail playfully swaying from side to side behind them. Glimmer wasn’t sure if she could trust Catra at all, despite them saving her from First One’s knows what Horde Prime would have done to her in his throne room. But she was all Glimmer had, and they were all she had, so there had to be some sort of mutual trust between them somewhere, right? The queen hoped so.

Both of them knew, if they were going to survive, they needed to work together, despite their glaring differences and how at odds with each other they were. After all, they’re in the same sinking boat now.  
___

Catra took comfort in the humming of the ships engines. She always had back in the Freight Zone. They could be heard at all times throughout the ship, and the hard metal floor which she slept on was strangely familiar. It reminded her of when she was in the Freight Zone with Adora. When everything was normal. When the world made sense. Before She-Ra.

Catra felt herself tense up at the thought of the sword wielding eight foot tall blonde giant. She hated them beyond any reasonable doubt. Everything about them made Catra hate them more and more. But not Adora. No matter what, she could never bring herself to hating Adora. And she loved whatever reminded her of them. And hated it at the same time. Maybe that was why she was so mean Scorpia, they just reminded her too much of the kindness and love which Adora used to show her. But that didn’t excuse what she did to them, or what she threatened to do. Catra knew that now.

She also knew that Glimmer wasn’t getting the rest which they would need to get out of this place. She avoided going to sleep by saying that “somebody's gotta keep guard.” Catra tried to argue, but she eventually gave up. She was surprised that the princess could argue back as well as she did. And she was too tired to really care anymore.

Lifting her head to look at her cellmate, Catra saw her sitting cross legged on the bed (if you could call it that) with the thin sheet which was supposed to be a blanket wrapped around her. And they were shivering violently and their teeth were chattering. Catra sat up and contemplated what to do before whispering, “Screw it,” and made her way over to the shivering queen of Bright Moon.

“Wh-what d-do you want, C-Catra?” They said bitterly, clutching the ends of the blanket and hugging them tighter than before, scared by them but not showing it.

“This’ll be easier for us both if you stop being so arrogant and let me help,” Catra responded as she pulled a corner of the blanket from their cold hands. “And don’t try to argue.”

“What a-are you-?!” She didn’t have time to respond before she found herself sitting on Catra’s lap, the blanket covering them both now, but Catra more since Glimmer sitting in her lap. She appreciated the gesture, and the warmth, sure, but was surprised at how skinny and thin Catra was when she went to try and pull one of their arms from around her. What she once thought was muscle was just fur, lots and lots of thick fur, and it scared her. When did Catra last eat? What did Catra eat?

“I’ll kill you if you tell anyone about this,” Catra hissed as she looked anywhere in the room but at Glimmer. But they couldn’t hide the softness her voice carried when she talked to Glimmer now. Maybe it was just out of pity for them and the situation they were in.

“Not like I’ll get the chance with us locked in here for the rest of our lives,” Glimmer sighed, allowing herself to relax into Catra’s warm body, which was surprisingly easy and comfortable, but she tried not to show it. That may be more embarrassing than the situation already was for them both. Not that Catra seemed to care, having already closed her eyes and placed her head and Glimmer’s shoulder now they were both more comfortable. They stayed like that for a few minutes, until Glimmer worked up the courage to speak and ask Catra the question she couldn’t get out of her head.

“Why did you do it?”

There was silence between them for a few seconds after that before Catra sighed.

“I’ve done a lot of things in the past few weeks, you’re gonna have to be more specific than that, Sparkles.”

“Save me.”

Catra had hoped that they wouldn’t ask that. She could’ve answered anything else they’d thrown at her, why she attacked Bright Moon, why she opened the Portal, why she was such a bad friend. But this? Not so easy.

“I, uh, I . . . I don’t know,” Catra stammered out, looking shamefully away.

“You don’t know?” Glimmer had pulled herself from Catra’s embrace, and although she didn’t want to admit it, she was already missing her warmth. “You stopped Horde Prime from killing me, or brainwashing me, or whatever he was going to do, and you don’t know why?!”

Catra remained silent, not looking up from the steel plated floor. Her fire was gone, she had nothing left to argue for, and not any reason to do anything anymore. She was just so . . . tired.

“Well?! Answer me!” Glimmer’s hands started to glow as she charged up her magical energy, ready to blast Catra to the other side of the room.

“Because . . .” Catra couldn’t think of what to say, whether she should make something up or keep telling the truth. Because that was the truth, she had no idea why she saved them, or why she got so mad when Horde Prime touched her cheek. The only real answer that wasn’t that was something she didn’t want to admit, or even accept was there. But once she started, the rest just came out so naturally. “Because I don’t want to be alone again. Because I don’t want to be abandoned by somebody who doesn’t think that I’m good enough, or strong enough, or smart enough, or kind enough. I just . . . I just want a friend.”

Catra looked up at Glimmer with tears in her eyes, the bags she had from no sleep still there, and a small look of hope, sadness, and affection in her different coloured eyes.

Glimmer lowered her hands, letting go of her spell and her rage. Catra didn’t look threatening now, she didn’t look like she could even stand up without struggling. It was hard to believe that they had once been the greatest threat to the Rebellion, their ferocious enemy who had nearly destroyed Bright Moon, crashed the Princess Prom, sent Entrapta to Beast Island, pushed away all of her friends, nearly destroyed the entire universe and killed her mom. She wasn’t the same person anymore. She’d changed. She’d lost everything. And Glimmer pitied her.

She snapped out of the trance which she was in, and glared at them. Glimmer knew who this was, this was Catra, and whatever she was now didn’t change what she did in the past. And Glimmer wasn’t going to forget what she did.

“You destroyed Etheria, killed my mom, broke the Rebellion in two, destroyed Sealiness, and all because you wanted a friend?!”

“I wanted to let her Shadow Weaver know that I was good enough!” Catra pounced onto her feet, shouting, the tears in her eyes still there. “That I was more than what I was to her, just a pebble in her shoe! That I was as good as, no, that I was BETTER than Adora! And I wanted Adora to see that too! That I was good enough!”

“Adora already thinks that!” Glimmer responded, trying to reason with this girl she now felt a weird bit of sympathy for. “Whenever she talked about you, she’d always say just how good you were, how good you could be! You were good enough for her!”

“I wasn’t good enough for her to stay!” Catra was screaming now, tears flowing from her eyes and rolling down her cheeks. “She abandoned me, left me with the Horde after, what, three hours of knowing you and Arrow boy!”

“She found out the Horde was evil!”

“I already knew that! I knew that for years, but I never left because Adora was there! Because she was my friend! Because I . . .” Catra choked on her own words, stunned she was opening up to the person she would’ve been fighting if not for Horde Prime. They were still enemies after all. And they would betray each other the second they got out of the ship, and then everything would go back to normal. Right?

“Because you what?!”

“BECAUSE I LOVED HER!!!”

Silence fell inside the cell. Only Catra’s heavy breathing could be heard and the hum of the engines. The quiet spread from corner to corner, suffocating them in its grasp, until it became unbearable. But still, nobody said a word. Eventually the engines hums faded out and all they could hear was their own heartbeats and Catra’s shaking, heavy breathing.

“You did?” Glimmer was unsure if she should even say anything after what just happened, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her.

“Y-yeah,” Catra swallowed hard, and once again looked down at her feet. “And they never even noticed.”

The usually talkative and loud princess suddenly found herself at a loss for words. They didn’t know what to say, or do.

“I was always her responsibility,” Catra began as she collapsed onto the cold bed, her head in her hands. Suddenly it just felt too hard to stand. “Whenever we did anything, play a prank on somebody, steal food, stay up after curfew, go into the restricted areas . . . It was always MY fault, it was always ME who was blamed,” The sadness and pain in her voice when she talked about her past was obvious, and it was hurting Glimmer to listen to, but it hurt Catra more to speak about it. “Shadow Weaver would always tell Adora I was her responsibility, that whatever I did was because she wasn’t looking after me well enough. Even if it was Adora who did something, I would be punished. Sometimes I felt she punished me just for existing.

“I only wanted to be enough for them.”

Catra sighed heavily, her voice shaking and fresh tears in her eyes. She was about to apologise for saying everything and opening up like that at random, that she shouldn’t have told them that, shouldn’t have shown weakness, but she felt a pair of arms wrap around her.

The queen looked up at her, with a look which Catra couldn’t quite figure out in her eyes that made her feel . . . safe.

Then they said four words. The four words Catra had always wanted to hear, the ones she never did, the ones which she strived for, which she had given up on ever hearing.

The words which broke her.

“You’re enough for me.”

Catra stared at them with wide eyes filled with tears. She hated Glimmer. They were enemies, and they would betray each other the second Horde Prime was dealt with. But they had given her the one thing she had always wanted.

She cried, slowly at first, as she hugged Glimmer. Then she started sobbing, then she screamed. And not once did Glimmer waver, or try to let go, or stop comforting them. She kept them in her embrace, making sure they felt safe and protected and like somebody was there for them. Because somebody was, and that somebody wasn’t going to leave them.

When Catra finally stopped crying, she lay on the floor, her head on glimmers chest as they slept, with her hand in Catra’s hair. Looking up, they couldn’t help but feel a warmth inside of them towards the princess. Something she hadn’t genuinely felt for too long. She trusted them. More than she trusted herself, which was a mistake she had made in the past, but Glimmer was different. She could tell.

After all, they only had each other now.


	2. Diner Arrangements

Chapter 2

“The fourth days the hardest one. It gets easier after then,” Catra murmured as she stretched her limbs after waking up, groaning. Yet another sleepless night next to Glimmer, pretending to sleep and staying deadly still so they wouldn’t disturb them. But she wasn’t sure if Glimmer slept either, or if she just stayed just as still and unmoving so she wouldn’t disturb Catra, thinking they were sleeping. Ironic.

“You already told me that yesterday,” The queen didn’t move from where she was lying next to Catra. What were they now? They weren’t enemies or nemesis’ anymore, that was for certain, but they weren’t exactly friends yet either. Acquaintances? Allies? Comrades? Associates? Neither of them knew. Not yet, at least. “And every other day we’ve been here.”

“It's something to do, to focus on that isn’t . . . THIS,” Catra motioned towards the grey, bland, featureless room around them. Whilst the small, confined space was annoying Glimmer, it was obviously having a worse effect on Catra for some reason.

They stayed silent after their short conversation, breathing in the cold steel walls, floor and ceiling. If Catra focused herself enough, she could just make out the scent of some sort of bleach which had been used to clean the floor before they’d been locked in. She didn’t even notice herself curling into Glimmer’s body when they moved to sit on the bedside next to them.

This had became more common over time and Glimmer would be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy it a bit. It felt nice to have somebody as fucked up as you, who’d made the same mistakes as you to be there with you, to know that you weren’t alone. But she still felt like she wasn’t what Catra needed. She needed somebody who was better at controlling their emotions, who was better at being open and helping, who was better than her.

She wasn’t what Catra needed, and Catra wasn’t what she needed.

Glimmer ran her fingers through Catra’s hair. She did it a lot, and she liked it. Maybe Catra did to? Glimmer didn’t know. But it felt nice. Comforting.

“Something on your mind, princess?” Catra purred, sounding calmer and more relaxed now.

“It’s nothing,” Glimmer was known for being strong headed and for not coming out to her friends or family about issues she had unless the issues stopped her from doing something she wanted to.

“Tell me,” Catra could’ve taken a different approach, she could’ve demanded to know or guilt tripped her into saying, but no. She trusted Glimmer to tell her, she trusted them to not lie or dodge the subject. She trusted Glimmer.

Glimmer stopped stroking Catra’s hair and went quiet. So much in their relationship could depend on her response, or lack of one.  
“I always feel like I’m second best. Like I’m not good enough, strong enough, brave enough to be the best,” Glimmer choked on her own words as a few small tears rolled down from her eyes onto her cheeks before they fell onto her lap.

“I know what you mean,” Catra sighed, shifting closer to the Queen of Bright Moon, the leader of the Rebellion, her enemy.

Something was changing between them. They could both tell, and they were both scared about what that was, what would happen, what they’d do, but any doubts or traitorous thoughts were kept to themselves.

They kept getting closer and closer, until soon the cool metal which was being pressed against Glimmer turned warm, very warm very suddenly. They clung to each other more and more until they were a mess of tangled limbs and tears, crying into each other for comfort. Nobody could judge them. Nobody could see them. Nobody could hear them.

The force field which locked them in was keeping them in was taken down with the click of a button and the flick of a switch, and Horde Prime’s clones entered. Quickly the two sat up from their awkward positions and into ones which would allow them to quickly jump into a fight if need be.

“Horde Prime requests the presence of Queen Glimmer and her maid Catra immediately. We are to escort you to his dining hall right away,” One of the two clones who entered the cell stated coldly. There were four other guards outside with them, two on either side of the door.

Catra opened her mouth to speak, but Glimmer quickly interrupted her. “I humbly accept this invitation to dinner from Horde Prime,” She flashed a small smile whilst motioning for Catra to step forward.

“Excellent. Please follow us,” The other clone spoke this time, and both turned around and headed out of the room with Catra and Glimmer in tow, trailed by the four other clones.

-

The first thing which Catra noticed when being escorted to meet Horde Prime was the smell. She couldn’t tell if it was the clones or the part of the ship they were in, but it smelled of heavy industrial chemicals and raw plastic. It was just so strong and raw it hurt Catra’s nose to even be near the stench. But she had to put up with it, she was forced to an audience with Prime after all, along with Glimmer.

She looked down at Glimmer as they walked beside each other, their head up high and a determined expression on their face. But deep down, Glimmer was terrified, she was shaking and on the verge of breaking down, and Catra could tell. Four days in a cell with whatever they called food would do that to somebody. Especially somebody who hadn’t already given up.

Catra often stole glances at Glimmer, in the cell, whilst they slept, now, she always seemed to amaze Catra. Something about how she managed to seem strong and together and whole even though she wasn’t did that. Maybe they could take inspiration from that?

“Horde Prime has requested the audience with Queen Glimmer of Bright Moon and her maid to be private,” one of the clones stated flatly to the other clones standing outside of Prime’s dining hall, which had doors reaching nearly twice the size of She-Ra. “You may enter when ready, but Horde Prime has requested that you enter as soon as possible.” They bowed, and with that Glimmer and Catra were left alone outside of wherever Prime was waiting for them.

“Your what?” Catra asked, arms crossed as she leaned against the wall, annoyed and too tired to actually bother being annoyed by the comment.

“I tell Prime you were my maid!” Glimmer scoffed, glaring at Catra who still looked annoyed. “They probably just think that you are because you spoke out for me, and I’m Queen.”

“Riiiiiight,” Catra sighed loudly and ran a hand through her hair before continuing, motioning over sarcastically with her arms towards the door. “You first, Sparkles.”

“Oh no no no no, my maid MUST go first, to insure I’m properly introduced,” Glimmer said with an over exaggerated tone and motioned Catra to the door mockingly.

“But, your majesty,” Catra responded, playing along with Glimmer’s little game in the same mocking, exaggerated tone. “You are far more important than me, and to make a good impression on Horde Prime you should enter first. As a show of your confidence.” Catra grinned at the princess as she bowed low, on had in the air and the other on her heart.

“But to make a more impressive entrance, it would do me well to be announced by my maid before my entrance into this chamber,” Despite everything, the fact they were trapped on an alien ship with a mass murdering dictator who wanted to see them on the other side of the door in front of them, Glimmer was enjoying herself with Catra right now.

“Chamber?” Catra snickered as she put a hand over her mouth to try and stop herself from laughing. “Who the hell calls a room a ‘chamber’ anymore?”

“Only everyone in Bright Moon!” Glimmer groaned, breaking character. “Do you know how annoying it is to be queen?! I’m expected to be all these things I’m not, say all these things I don’t want to, and make decisions which could mean everything or nothing!”

“Oh, Queen Glimmer!” Catra said in a heavily done up accent like you’d hear from one of the Bright Moon servants, trying to be as fancy as the servants were. “I have such an important decision for you to make! Shall we be using the purple or the violet cushions for the seats at tonight's banquet?”

Glimmer snickered, covering her mouth, the annoyance which was on her face now replaced with a smile and happiness before she came up with one of her own.

“Queen Glimmer! Another important question for you!” Catra looked at the princess with a raised eyebrow and a small but noticeable grin. “Which colour napkins are best, the turquoise or the aqua?”

Catra and Glimmer both laughed at each others accurate impressions of the Bright Moon servants. It was nice to have a moment like this between them, despite their situation.

“And what type of food will we serve, the prawns or the sprouts?” Catra questioned, putting on a fake face of confusion and wonder, finished with raised eyebrows and her hand on her chin.

“What does it matter? Nobodys going to eat either of them!”

It started off as a small grin, then a chuckle, then Catra and Glimmer both started laughing. Well and truly, they both smiled and laughed at each other, for the first time in what felt like ages. It felt strange for Catra to be happy again. When she looked up, she found her hand was placed on Glimmer’s shoulder, and their faces were close. Very close. It was strange to see them this close, to be able to see their face so close to hers. She never had the chance to before, despite her wandering eyes. When Glimmer looked up she felt that too, and soon silence filled the place between and around them yet again. Glimmer placed her hand on Catra’s, and stared at her with even more intent, and fear. Fear of what they would do next, but also excitement.

Catra looked into Glimmer’s eyes and thought she saw something. A flicker of a feeling which she couldn’t make out. Something which was small, but growing.

Glimmer pushed Catra away quickly and defensively, a look of shock and annoyance on her face.

“We should go in before Prime gets impatient,” Catra said, putting an emphasis on the last word with a hint of worry and shrugging off whatever feeling she was getting and focusing back into her usual cold demeanor.

“After meeting Hordak, I’d hate to see how his bigger brother is.”

“You first, Princess.”


End file.
